Electromagnetic transducer head



Feb. 10, 1953 M. CAMRAS ELECTROMAGNETIC TRANSDUCER HEAD 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed Jan. 5, 1950 I I F217 2271- #4310 Cvmens Feb. 10, 1953 M. CAMRAS 2,628,285

ELECTROMAGNETIC TRANSDUCER HEAD Filed Jan. 5, 1950 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Inrszn Tux- /%qe V/A/ Ciwnens Patented Feb. 10, 1953 U N] TED .QS *OFFI CE .-l2-,s2s,-2s5

' ELECTROMAGNETIC TRANSDUCERiHEAD -Marvirr GamrasflOhicago, 111., assignor tofiArmour Research1== Foundatio n ofilllinoisxlnstitute4M ...Technology, Chicago, Ill a corporation of .Illinois ""ApplicationJanuary 5, 1950, Serial No.13-7.,001

.151.Glaims. (01. 179-1002) .1 This invention relates toan electromagnetic transducer head v and, -more par-ticula'rly to a head for magnetic recordingand=reproducing apparatus which employs an extra magnetic pole :in the recording head; in 1 additionto the 'two poles normally employed.

-In one typeof magnetic recording apparatus,

- alengthy magnetizable record medium is drawn across I an electromagnetic transducer head as- -sembly at substantially uniform linear velocity. The :head assembly includes I a magnetic core memberhaving a-non-magneticgap over which the medium: passes and which 1 is provided-with suitable. current-conductingexciting elementsto produce. a :magnetic fieldacross theap. *The 'poleeportions ofthe core memberwhichwform the non-.magnetic'agap are so positioned and arranged that: the medium-passesover fir'st one .pole; then. across the gap,- and then-over theother pole.

.l'iDuring athe. recording .operation, ..:-current is .caused .todiow: in: excitingelements in accord- .ance with .time variations: -of--an intelligence to produce .a time'evarying: magnetic field the core "and.-in.-accordance .with the valuethereof.

The: lengthy: magnetizable cmedium is -subjected .to'; the influence; of this :field as it is :drawn therethrough, iandamagnetization is impartedr-to. :in-

.: crementallengths: of; the Lmedium in 1 accordance with the time variationsoitheintelligence, thus causing variations. inathe ..magnetization of ...the :rmedium. along its length. inaccordance withithe l time variations of..the intelligence.

. During reproduction, the. lengthy .magnetizable medium is drawn vacrossthe. same or similarhead assembly to? set; up a flux the :core:.'.portion thereof in accordance t-vvith-;.thenmagnetization of the medium along r-successiverincremental .lengths: as it passes across the ggapsof: themagnetic corermember. .Thecresultantixtimesvarying.

flux induces-a voltage in the. coil.:with. whichzthe .fiux is linked in accordancewiththatime rate of change thereof. :ThiSx voltage maylbe amplified and suitably reproduced .by. a. loud: speaker nor similar device to .produce the. intelligencearecorded.

1 This magnetic :recording;..and;reproducing inherently .ainvolves the conversion .of. an ;:intelligence. to:- a; time-varying magnetic :field:;during the recording operation, and: the conversiomofaa time-varying magnetic flux into an intelligence the. reproducing-1 operation.

'.-.It. has been. foundzin L-practice-..that=:one-.:of

. the. limitations =-on.how high a frequencyyomcan record and how well';.-yo.u:can sreccrdzanyztrequencyldepends', .to aconsiderable degree on how rapidlyLthetmagneticzintensity; decreases. at the trailing pole of the electroiemagnetic.transducer head-g:.after.the.a record: medium has crossed the gap.

. .One of thecprincipaL-features and objects of :thenpresent-inventionV isatoqprovide .a novel electro-magnetic transducer head: assembly, l which employs ansextra :pole. It. hasv been. found with .an extra .poleand: properly; excited that themag- -netic.. intensity-may.begcausedaL-to drop ofi .much more rapidlysat-the trailing-polea'fter the record :medium'shas 1 crossed? the; gem; and :also causes a more. uniform irate of ;.intensity drop to exist throughout the thicknessofi the .magnetic -record medium; than:.;has; heretofore. been possible. I It has: further been, found that-withthi zextra pole it .is possible to; record; anyrrecordable frequency -better..;and;also tos-record higher frequencies beacausesthemagnetic intensity; gradientis steeper .netic intensity in'...the'.high frequency bias field applied to the head is at a diflerent location from .the'region oilgreatest-zmagnetic intensity ofthe audio .field.

Other-objects and features-which l-sbelieve to :be characteristic of; my inventionare setforth ,with particularity -in.the.;'appended claims. .My

invention itself, however, both astoitsorganiza- .tion, manner of? construction, and :method of operation; together with-further objects and ;:ad-

@vantages?v thereof-.xmayl best; he understood zby ereferencelto :-:-:the: following. description taken. .in c connectionswithathe;accompanyingodrawings, in which:

Eigureihis .a diagrammatic View: of; an'electro- *rmagneticitrans'ducer head: assembly embodying 1 the novel. teachings .and principles: of .the present invention;

.Z'Eigure 2:,:-is afiragmentary front v'elevati'onal .55 view of the pole tips .ofcthe'; three-i-poles of.- the 3 head assembly shown in Figure l with a record medium, in section, shown as passing over the two main poles;

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic drawing showing lines of equal magnetic intensity in a head assembly which does not employ a third pole;

Figure 4 is a drawing similar to Figure 3 showing a three-pole arrangement but with only the third pole excited;

Figure 5 shows a plot of lines of equal magnetic intensity when both the main poles as well as the third pole are excited and, in effect, shows the combination or" Figures 3 and 4;

Figure 6 is a plot of an initial magnetization curve showing the location of Ho;

Figures '7, 8 and 9 are diagrams of different shapes of pole tips which may conveniently be employed in a three-pole type of electromagnetic transducer head assembly;

Figure 10 is a diagrammatic view of an electromagnetic transducer head assembly illustrating a four-pole head construction, the extra pole being employed for erasing;

Figure 11 is a diagrammatic view showing how the third pole of the form or" the invention shown in Figure 1 may be shifted lengthwise of the tape so that it may be employed for erasing as well as for providing high frequency bias;

Figure 12 is a diagrammatic top view showing how the third pole may be shifted angularly with respect to the gap to change the frequency response characteristic of the assembly;

Figure 13 is a diagrammatic end view of a head assembly of the type shown in Figure l but showing an electrical connection therefor which provides a region of maximum gradient in magnetic intensity for the audio signal adjacent the trailing pole but providing the region of maximum gradient in magnetic intensity of the high frequency bias field adjacent the leading pole of ing pole portions i2 and I3 with a small nonmagnetic gap M lying therebetween. This core member H is formed of any suitable magnetic material having high permeability, a high saturating characteristic but very low magnetic retentivity. A third C-shaped core piece it is provided having a base or lower leg portion it which abuts the base part i! of the core member ll and an upper leg or pole portion i8 which is disposed in spaced overlying relationship with respect to the gap l4.

As may be seen best in Figure 2 of the drawings, a magnetizablerecord member i9 is arranged to travel across and in contact with the poles l2 and [3 in the direction as indicated by the arrow 20. The magnetizable record member may conveniently be in the form of a paper tape or plastic backing H with a thin layer of magnetizable material 22 on the undersurface thereof and in contact with the poles l2 and [3. The magnetizable material 22 may be of any suitable or convenient form having a relatively high coercive force.

As is diagrammatically illustrated in Figure 2, the gap (4 between the poles l2 and i3 is relatively small. In practice, it has been found that this gap may conveniently be of the order of magnitude of .0002" to .002. The gap 23 lying between the third pole l8 and the poles l2 and i3 is much larger by comparison, it being preferable from a mechanical standpoint that this pole does not lie in contact with the record medium [9. By way of example, and not by way of limitation, this gap 23 may be approximately .010 when the main gap is approximately .001.

The main core portion is provided with a winding having one portion 24 on one leg and a second portion 25 on the other leg. The coil portions 24 and 25 are symmetrical and arranged to act in aiding relation in setting up a flux flowing through the core I I but which act in hum-bucking relation with regard to stray field pickup when the head is acting as a reproducer. The core portion [5 which provides the third leg or pole portion [8 has a coil 26 wound thereon.

The coil portions 24 and 25 of the main core and the coil 26 are electrically connected together, either in series or in parallel, in such a manner that at any given instant of time the third pole I8 is of the same polarity as the trailing pole I3 and in opposite polarity with respect to the leading pole l2 of the main core H.

In this first embodiment of the present invention which is being described, the audio current fed to the coil portions 24 and 25 and to the coil 26 may have superimposed thereon a high frequency bias current in a manner such, for example, as that described in my issued Patent No. 2,351,004, granted June 13, 1944. The actual effeet and advantage of the third leg in the electromagnetic transducer head assembly may best be understood by consideration of Figures 3, 4 and 5.

Referring first to Figure 3, this figure shows the portions of the poles l2 and [3 adjacent the top of the gap l4, and indicates by the dotted lines, regions of equal magnetic intensity 27. For example, line 27 of equal magnetic intensity having the numeral I8 immediately above it, represents a region in space along the line where the magnetic intensity is 18 units. The line 25 represents the line where at every place along the line the magnetic intensity is 25, etc.

Particular care and attention must be given to the fact that these are not flux lines and, for that reason, they do not indicate the direction of the magnetic field, but only the intensity of the magnetic field. It is to be noted that in the conventional flux plot, the flux lines indicate the direction of the magnetic field, while the relative intensity of the magnetic field is given only by the relative spacing between adjacent flux lines. Since it is actually the magnetic intensity which is the all important thing in making a, recording, a plot of magnetic intensity lines rather than a flux plot is the type of plot which will best illustrate the features of the invention,

As is well known to those skilled in the art, it is important to have high magnetic intensity at the place where the record medium leaves the region of the gap and that the magnetic intensity thereafter rapidly fall. It is furthermore desirable that the rate of fall near the portion of the tape which is immediately adjacent the trailing pole be as close as possible to the rate of fall of magnetic intensity adjacent the other side of the magnetizable material but at the same location along the length of the tape. 7 r

pendicular over the pole :portion 12.

assesses As shown in -Figure 30f the drawings, only the "magnetic layer of .material ZZ-Ofthei-tape- -is shown. Furthermore, asshownin Figure '3;-n'o

energy is supplied to the coil-of the' third pole,

and for that reason,- Figure 3 represents a plot of magnetic intensity for a normal two-pole head -wherein-the tape is longitudinally magnetized.

Forpurposes of illustration three incremental portions 28,- 29-and 3B have been shown. inthe tape. The incremental portions are of thesame length-along the length of the tape, but'are -located at difierent distances away from the top surface of the trailing pole IS. The incremental portion 28 has a'much more rapid fall-01f inmagnetic intensity than does the incremental portion -30. 1 It will furthermore be'observed. thatthere addition of the third pole l8. In order to understand the effect of the super-position of the third pole is, I have shown in Figure 4. what the magnetic intensity plot would look like with the coil 26- energized but the. coils 24 and 25 deenergized. Here, the lines of magnetic intensity are more nearly the same as the flux plot lines.

I When the coil 26 is now energized alongwith the -coils 24 and 25 so that the pole is is' of opposite polarity with respect to the pole I2, but of the same polarity as the pole:- i3, the tendency :is to fiatten the flux pattern out over the trailing pole portion I3 and tends tomake it more nearly per- Theeffe'ct on the magnetic intensity pattern, however, is

shown in Figure 5.

As will be observed from a study of Figure 5, the magnetic intensity lines 21 show that there is a much more rapid gradient or drop-off .over

the-trailing pole. iii in the regionof thegap l4,

and furthermore, the rate of drop-offis nearer the same at the region of the record member most remote. from thepole portion i3=as-compared :with: that lyingimmediately adjacent. the pole portion [3.

From the above, it will be apparent that not only is the field more nearly longitudinal, but is also decreasing more rapidly where the tape leaves the gap. Furthermore, it is to be noted that the sharply changing field extends for .a greaterdistance laterally than with the conventional head. For that reason, tape contact with the head does not have to be as perfect. .It has alsobeen found that the recording process is less I sensitive to changes in bias or to excessbias, and,

in addition; the optimum bias for high. and low frequencies is practically the same. This latter feature is, of course, of tremendous advantage,

for one of the great difficulties in'the past with the use of high frequency bias has been the fact that the optimum bias for high audio notes hasbeen' substantially difierent than'the optimum bias for low frequency notes.

It has furthermore been found in practice with ..this type: of a head that. high frequencies. can be. recorded at higher intensities without .dis- .ztortion than with conventional heads. iThe itendency .toproduce f fbeat: notes: between :the

biasand audio frequency is reduced. The: gradient of the'recording field near the gap cantbe varied by adjusting the intensity of the cross field. For example, increasing the cross field would givea,v greater gradient at the corner of the trailing pole 13 at the region marked A, but

the region at B will suffer in comparison.

In determining the optimum cross field, some of the factors to be considered are the size of the recordinggap, thickness of the layer of mag-. netizable material 22, and the magnetic propertiesof the material used to form the layer 22.

'Under typical operating conditions, it has been found advantageous to use a cross field which is approximately the value at which recording starts to take: place, or a value at Ho on the Br-H curve (see Figure 6).

i As shown in Figure 6, the point H0 is the point onthe Br-H curve where Br begins to rise rap- -idly -.with increasing H.

With ordinary tape coatings, H0 is about to of the coercive force of the material, although it has been found in some cases it may be as low as 6 of the coercive force-and in others, it may be practically equal to the coercive force.

Figures 7, -8 and 9 show the effect of variations in the shape of the pole ti on the pole 18.

In Figure 10 of the drawing, a modified form of. head construction is shown in which two auxiliary yokes are used instead of one. More particularly, the head construction shown in 'Figure loincludes a main core portion 31 having confronting pole portions 32 and 33. A (J-shaped auxiliary yoke or core member 34 similar to the auxiliary core portion 15 shown in Figure 1 of the drawings is provided. In addition, there is also provided a C-shaped core member 35 similar to the member 34, but being bent at a point part-way up its back .leg 36 so that the upper portionof this core member 35 lies in a planeat an angle to the core portion 34. The core member 35 has an upper pole 31 which overlies the record member H). A winding 38 is provided on the core portion 35 and is of sufficient number of turns to provide an intense magnetic field in the region of the pole portion 31 so as to demag- -netize the record'member l9 as it passes there- ..under. .The coil 38 may be connected with the coil 26, or may be-separately excited as desired.

In Figure 11 of the drawings, I have shown diagrammatically a head of the type shown in .Figure 1- but with the core member i5'tipped slightly so that the pole I8 is over the leading pole 12 rather than over the gap l4. When "a coil 26 is of sufficient number of turns and ener gized in amanner to provide a strong high frequency field between the pole i8 and the pole 12,

an erase' field is set up which will demagnetize the tape before reaching the gap l4, but pro- 'videsa sufficient cross field of proper strength in the region of the gapitself to providethe desired high frequency bias. If desired, the

auxiliary pole-may be excited with a high-ire .iffquency bias field only, while the main'poles are excited with audio frequency only.

'=In'-'Figure 12 of the'drawings, I have indicated that the plane of "thecore member l'5 may be displaced angularlywith respect to the gap l4,

thereby to change the frequency response across the .widthof the tape. The arrangement which gives the sharpest drop in magnetic intensityat the trailing p'ole will give the besthigh frequency response.

In Figure 13 of the'drawingsyI have shown ilhow theuheadof Figure 1 maybe provided-with a second winding 39 and then connected in such a manner as to give an intense audio field on one side of the gap and an intense bias field on the other sideof the gap.

More particularly, in Figure 13, I have indicated a source of audio current at 43 and a source of high frequency current at d l. The coils 24 and are connected in series with the winding 26 to the source 48 of audio frequency, while the coils 24-25 are connected in series with the winding 39 to the source 4| of high frequency current. 1 The coils S9 and 2t are oppositely polarized with respect to the coils 24-25. More specifically, these coils are so connected that with respect to the audio frequency, the auxiliary pole I3 is of the same polarity as the trailing pole IE, but with respect to-the high frequency field, the auxiliary pole is is or the same polarity as the leading pole 12. This causes the most rapidly changing audio field to exist on the side of the gap near the trailing pole, but the rapidly changing bias field to exist on the side of the gap adjacent the leading pole. The reverse effect may, of course, be obtained by reversing the polarity of the coils 25 and 39.

In Figure 14 of the drawings, I have shown an arrangement wherein the high frequency bias is supplied to the main core portion and to the auxiliary core portion through one set of windings, and the audio current is supplied through a separate set of windings. The high frequency bias supplied to the first set of windings is displaced 90 in phase with respect to each other, thereby .to produce a rotating high frequency magnetic field. More specifically, the main core portion H has a high frequency bias winding d2 thereon, while the auxiliary core portion i5 has a high frequency bias winding as thereon. in addition, the core portion 1 i has an audio winding i t, while the core portion l5 has an audio winding thereon. The audio frequency is fed to the coils 34 and in such a manner that the third pole i8 is of the same polarity as the trailin pole E3. The high frequency bias windings 42 and 43, however, are fed from a source of high frequency bias 4B in the manner illustrated. More particularly, the high frequency bias current is fed directly to the winding (32 but is fed through a phase-shifting network 41' to the winding 43. This electrical arrangement is shown diagrammatically in Figure 15 of the drawings.

The source 46 is connected to the coil 42 through a fixed resistance element 48 and is connected to the winding 43 through the fixed resistance element 48 and a variable resistance element 49. The resistance 48 is inserted in the circuit so that it is possible to obtain a more nearly constant current in the external circuit. The variable resistance =39 in series with the coil 43 produces a phase-shift with respect to the current flowing through the coil 42 in a manner well known to those ssilled in the art. By this arrangement, a rotating high frequency magnetic field is obtained in the tape by combining out-of-phase fields at right angles to each other.

While the use of a third pole has many advantages as will be apparent from the foregoing description, its greatest advantage probably lies in the improvement of the play-back operation.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be eifected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. An electromagnetic head comprising a pair of poles having pole tips in closely spaced confronting, relation and arranged to have a magnetic record member pass thereacross from one pole to the other, means for establishing an alternating magnetic field in the region of said pole tips, and means for establishing a secondary alternating magnetic field in the region of said pole tips to change appreciably the net intensity and configuration of said field in the region of oneof saidpoletips as compared with the intensity of said field in the region of the other of said pole tips. 1

2. An eiectromagnetic transducer comprising a ringetype core having a pair of closely spaced confronting pole portions separated by a nonmagnetic gap across which a magnetic record member is arranged to pass first over a first one of said pole portions and then the gap and finally over a second one of said pole portions, a second core in'the region of said gap and spaced from said confronting pole portions and having a third pole portion spaced'above said non-magnetic gap and within the magnetic influence of said first and second pole portions, said ring-type core and said second core havin magnetic core elements common to both cores, means for setting up an alternating magnetic flux in said first core thereby' to establish an alternating magnetic field in the region of said gap, and means for setting up an alternating magnetic flux in said second core which passes through said third pole portion and at least one of said pole portions of said first core.

3. An electromagnetic head comprising a pair of poles having pole tips in closely spaced confronting relation and arranged to have a magnetic record member pass thereacross from one pole to the other, means for establishing an alternating magnetic field in the region of said pole tips, and means for substantially increasing the net intensity of said field in the region of the pole tip which is reached second as the record member passes across first one pole and then the other.

4. An electromagnetic head comprising a pair of poles having pole tips in closely spaced confronting relation and arranged to have a magnectic record member pass thereacross from one pole to the other, means for establishing an alternating magnetic field in the region of said pole tips, and means for substantially increasing the intensity of said field in the region of the pole tip which is reached first as the record member passes across first one pole and then the other.

5. An electromagnetic head comprising a core having a pair of poles in closely spaced confronting relation arranged to have a record medium pass thereacross from one pole to the other and substantially in contact therewith, a second core member having a third pole mounted in proximity to said pair of poles but spaced from said record medium as said record medium travels across said pair of poles, means causing an alternating magnetic flux to flow in said first core, and means for causing an alternating magnetic flux of the same frequency to flow in said second core, said second means being phased with respect to said first means so that the instantaneous magnetic polarity of said third pole is the same as the second pole which the record member crosses.

6. An electromagnetic head comprising a core having a pair of poles in closely spaced confronting relation arranged to have a record medium pass thereacross from one pole to the other and substantially in'contacttherewith; a" second core memberhaving a third polemounted in prox-v imity tosaid pair of poles'but spaced from said record medium as s'aidrecordlmedmm travels across saidpair of 'poles, means. causingan a1- ternati'ng magnetic flux to fiow in said first core, and means for causing an alternating magnetic fiux of the same frequency toflow in said second core; said second means being phased with respect to said first means so that the instantaneous magnetic polarity of said third pole is the same as the first pole which the record member crosses.

'7. An electromagnetic transducer comprising a ring-type core having a nonmagnetic gap therein across which a magnetic record member is arranged to pass, a C-shape core straddling said ring-type core, one end of said C-shape core being disposed over said gap and in spaced. relation to said ring-type core, the other end of said O-shape core being substantially in contact with said ring-type core at a point remote from said gap, and at least one electric coil on each of said cores.

8. An electromagnetic transducer comprising a ring-type core having a pair of closely spaced confronting pole portions separated by a nonmagnetic gap across which a magnetic record member is arranged to pass first over a first one of said pole portions and then the gap and finally over a second one of said pole portions, a second core having a pole portion spaced above said nonmagnetic gap and within the magnetic influence of said first and second pole portions, means for setting up an alternatin magnetic flux in said first core thereby to establish an alternating magnetic field in the region of said gap, and means for setting up an alternating magnetic fiux in said second core which passes through said third pole portion and at least one of said pole portions of said first core, said fluxes being phased with respect to each other in such a manner that the instantaneous polarity of said third pole portion is substantially the same as said second pole portion and opposite to said first pole portion.

9. An electromagnetic transducer comprising a ring-type core having a pair of closely spaced confronting pole portions separated by a nonmagnetic gap across which a magnetic record member is arranged to pass first over a first one of said pole portions and then the gap and finally over a second one of said pole portions, a second core having a pole portion spaced above said non-magnetic gap and within the magnetic infiuence of said first and second pole portions, means for setting up an alternating magnetic flux in said first core thereby to establish an alternating magnetic field in the region of said gap, and means for setting up an alternating magnetic flux in said second core which passes through said third pole portion and at least one of said pole portions of said first core, said fluxes being phased with respect to each other in such a manner that the instantaneous polarity of said third pole portion is substantially the same as said first pole portion and opposite to said second pole portion.

10. An electromagnetic head comprising a core having a pair of poles in closely spaced confronting relation arranged to have a record medium pass thereacross from one pole to the other and substantially in contact therewith, a second core member having a third pole mounted in proximity to said pair of poles, means causing an alternating magnetic flux to flow in said first core,

core but out of phase with said first fiux.

11. An electromagnetic head comprising a core having a pair of poles in closely spaced confronting relationship arranged to have a record me" dium passthereacross from one pole to the other and substantially in contact therewith, a second core member having a third pole mounted in proximity to said pair of poles and over the gap between the confronting portions of said 'pair of poles, said third pole being spaced from said pair of poles thereby to provide a gap through which said record medium passes as it crosses said pair of poles, a third core member having a fourth pole mounted in proximity to but spaced from said one pole of said pair of poles, said fourth pole being spaced from said one pole to provide a gap through which said record medium travels as it crosses said one pole, means causing an alternating magnetic flux to flow in said first core, and means for causing an alternating magnetic fiux to fiow in said second core, and means for causing an alternating magnetic flux to fiow in said third core.

12. An electromagnetic transducer comprising a ring-type core having a non-magnetic gap therein across which a magnetic record member is arranged to pass, a C-shape core straddling said ring-type core, one end of said cshape core being disposed over said gap and in spaced relation to said ring-type core, the other end of said c-shape core being substantially in contact with said core at a point remote from said gap, said C-shape core lying in a plane disposed at an acute angle to the plane of said ring-type core, and at least one electric coil on each of said cores.

13. An electromagnetic head comprising a pair of poles having pole tips in closely spaced confronting relation and arranged to have a magnetic record medium pass thereacross'from one pole to the other, means for establishing a magnetic field of fluctuating intensity between and in the region of the confronting portions of said poles, means for superimposing a high frequency fluctuating magnetic field cn'said first magnetic field, said means being constructed and. arranged to cause a higher instantaneous value of high frequency field in the region of the entering pole of ct for causing a higher instantaneous value of said first magnetic field in the region of the trailing pole of said pair of poles.

14. The method of magnetic recording which includes passing a magnetizable record medium through an alternating magnetic field and modifying the direction and intensity of said field in one portion thereof by establishing a second alternating magnetic field having a difierent direction than the first field as said record medium passes therethrough.

15. The method of establishing a more rapidly decreasing magnetic intensity in the region of a magnetic recorder head wherein magnetization of a magnetizable medium moving relative to and through said region is to occur, the medium moving through a first portion of said region and then through a second portion of said region, and wherein the head is adapted to establish a first concentrated alternating magnetic field in said region, the magnetic intensity of said first field decreasing from said first portion to said second portion, which comprises the step of imposing on said second portion a second alternat- 12 ing magnetic field having a component which has UNITED STATES PATENTS a phase, frequency, intensity and configuration in N opposition to said first concentrated field in said g g g fi second portion, thereby providing a sharper 2:456:767 Camras 1948 gradient in the region and improved high fre- .3 2484 Howell Oct 1949 quency recording.

MARVIN CAMRAS FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date REFERENCES CITED 805,434 France Aug. 22, 1936 The following references are of record in the 3 881,343 France Jan. 22, 1943 file of this patent:

Y J A 

